Bike Bag Dude Bikepacking Bags - Review

Bike Bag Dude is an Australia-based custom bikepacking bag manufacturer – a two-person enterprise consisting of Kedan and Kath Griffin, who make custom-fitted frame bags, bar harnesses, bar roll-bags, top tube bags, and stem bags. I’ve been testing all except the latter, logging about 3000 dusty kilometers on the bags over the last few months.

When it comes to packing overnight gear onto your mountain bike and heading into the hills for more than a few days, especially on routes that may involve an equal share of cruising on jeep tracks as navigating technical singletrack, getting weight out of a backpack and onto the bike can be the difference between bliss and suffering. In the last couple of years, the bikepacking bag market has been flooded with options form pop-up cottage-industry manufacturers. Only one or two of these companies has approached anything close to mass production. In this contracted world of custom pack makers, Bike Bag Dude stands out as one of the more recognizable brands, mostly for its unique take on bag design - and that uniqueness comes in the form of protruding, weather-sealed seams.

At first, I was skeptical of the merits this exposed seam idea. Personally, it lends the bags a sort of homemade and unpolished look that, when combined with the somewhat witless “Bike Bag Dude” name, had me regarding the bags with raised eyebrows. I discovered that the "BBD" acronym, placed on all sides of the kit, brings up a few ...uh... startling search engine results - which didn't help to improve my perceptions of the product. What matters most, though, is that the exposed seam design is key to the goal of seam-sealing - a feature that that has been woefully lacking from frame bags.

Sealed Seams: Borrowing from sail-making methods, Bike Bag Dude glues every exposed seam with a two-sided tape membrane before sewing with anti-wicking thread. Of course, anti-wicking thread could still let some water through, but since the seams are on the outside, the goopy membrane in the seam means the thread is never actually exposed to the inside of the bags.

Stable attachments: The reversed seams also benefit the stability of frame and top-tube bags, it turns out, since the seams hug the frame, and allows the bags’ volume to be adjusted to a greater degree than with other frame bags, by loosening or cinching down the hook-and-loop straps. So, despite my misgivings on the aesthetics of the “seams out” design, I’ve come to appreciate it and even applaud it.

Reinforced fabric: Unless you request something else, Bike Bag Dude uses X-Pac laminated nylon fabrics throughout, a stiff and extremely strong material that helps the bags maintain their shape when stuffed with food and gear. All zips are size-eight, weather-resistant YKK zippers, and all Velcro straps are of the two-sided variety, with the soft side in, presumably to help reduce wear on frame and handlebar.

Custom fit: All bags are made to order, with many color choices. Learn from my mistake - don't choose yellow. Frame bags and top-tube “Garage” bags are also lined with brightly-colored rip-stop nylon for ease of visibility.

Garage top tube bag.

Top Tube Bag

The Bike Bag Dude “Garage” bag is way bigger than most other top tube bags. I can fit all the things I want handy when out bikepacking: multi-tool, full-sized Leatherman, spork, tube of sunscreen, headlamp, fingerless gloves (since I avoid wearing these unless the sun is burning my hands), chap stick, and sunglasses.

While some people might not be a fan of the amount of top tube real estate the bag occupies, I reckon that if I’m going to bother adding a bag to my bike, it had better be able to carry more than could fit in the pockets of my shorts. It’s useful to think of the weight of a bag in weight per carrying space. Using fewer bags that have more volume is lighter than covering your bike in small accessory bags.

This is the best top tube bag I’ve laid my hands on, but it comes at a heavy price: $120AUD (about $90USD). While some water can still come in through the zipper, it offers the best water resistance I've found in a top-tube bag. All three straps that connect it to the bike loop through daisy chained webbing, so it can fit around frame bag straps. The frame-hugging seams-out design makes it the most stable I’ve used, despite its size.

The Garage bag's exposed seam design helps it conform to the top tube for a more secure fit.

Handlebar Roll

The handlebar roll is a two-piece modular bag consisting of a padded sling, which straps onto the handlebar and headtube, and a sewn roll-bag that buckles into the harness. There is no option for an accessory pocket, as is often found on similar products. Coupled with the monstrous Garage Bag, I can't say I've missed having a pocket up front (the worst place to carry weight on a bike, anyway).

Bike Bag Dude's take on the handlebar roll is pretty minimalist – a design philosophy I usually look for. It attaches to the handlebar with Velcro, which I could get much tighter than the more typical webbing options. But, without any sort of spacer to keep the sling away from the handlebar, it was a real challenge to mount on a standard riser bar, without forcing cables to uncomfortable angles. I cut some closed-cell foam blocks to use as spacers to keep the harness off the bar and control cables. The result worked, and thanks in part to the Velcro attachment, proved impressively stable with a five-pound load.

The yellow, external sling helps to waterproof the handlebar roll.

The sling/dry bag system was handy for quick packing.

Foam blocks added as spacers minimized interference with cables.

One-inch-wide webbing and large boxy looking buckles that are used on the harness and roll-bag look like they came off a backpack from the '80s, They are way bigger than is necessary, and while they hold the roll-bag very securely, oversized hardware has little merit for such simple closures. The roll-bag itself is reinforced against abrasion in the middle with a second layer of X-Pac, which is necessary because, if you're using wide bars, the sling is not wide enough to protect the roll bag against abrasion by the brake levers and cables.

Unfortunately, I discovered the reinforcement strip's flat seam lets water through – I'm not sure if it lacks the sealing membrane, or whether water can just wick through the threads much more easily on a flat seam. Either way, the result was damp sleeping gear after riding through hard rain. Given the sling is sold alone for $80AUD, most of the cost of Bike Bag Dude's handlebar roll is tied up in this less-than-waterproof roll bag. Mass-produced dry bags can easily be found for about $30, so Bike Bag Dude's $120AUD roll bag seems unreasonable. The price further jumps up by $30AUD for every additional three centimeters in diameter. That is less than ten centimeters of additional material, and no significant change to labour cost, which makes the larger bags even more out of line with affordable alternatives.

The hook side of the Velcro is a bit more abrasive than regular webbing, but generally this sort of wear is normal after 3000km, and isn't a problem.

Frame Bag

Bike Bag Dude's answer to the frame bag is the only option I've seen that gives more than a symbolic nod to the effort of waterproofing. While they make no claims that the bag is actually waterproof (since water can pass through the teeth of water-resistant zippers), it has proven totally weatherproof against heavy rain. Much of this comes down to the sealed seams, but some of its water-resistance comes from the lack of a hydration-port, which often manifests as forward-facing funnel where the hydration hose exits the bag.

The only drawbacks I found with the frame-mount bag came from the use of size-eight YKK zippers, as opposed to size ten, which is common on other frame bags. I also had trouble with the double-sided Velcro retention straps. After about two months in dusty conditions, the main zipper's slider had worn enough that the teeth no longer remained closed behind it. My usual method of pinching the slider closed with pliers failed to completely solve the problem. Meanwhile, the double-sided Velcro, with its rough side out, would occasionally grab my shorts when I straddled my bike. And again, after two months of travel, a couple of these straps were tearing where they mounted to the bag body. Fortunately, the seams-out design made it incredibly easy to repair torn straps in the field.

Untested, was how the full-size bag, and its exposed seams mated with a front derailleur. I don't use one, but looking at amount of fabric near the bottom bracket, I'd assume that there would at least be some contact between the bag and a front derailleur. There are two tabs at the lowest vertex of the bag which can be pulled tight to create a taper in order to clear multiple chainrings, and the manufacturers assured me that they've had no problems with front derailleurs.

The frame bag I received for testing came fully loaded: two zippers into the main compartment, a false-floor at half-height that can be opened for stowing large items, and a zippered map pocket on the non-drive-side. While those features were great, for the extra $100AUD, I'd happily stick to a single-zipper. The basic option, with a single compartment and single zipper, coming in at $250AUD, or about $185USD, puts this weatherproof design at a similar price-point to popular, mass-produced alternatives.

The black false floor can be opened and stowed to the side.

The map pocket - useful for it intended purpose - and for zip ties.

Stitch-work throughout the kit was impeccable, but two months of exposure to fine Chilean dust, and the main zipper was acting up.

The bottom straps started to tear. Straps are sewn onto the exposed seams, however, so field repair was easy.

Pinkbike's Take:

Overall, Bike Bag Dude bikepacking bags feature great design and impeccable construction, but the designs are weakened, primarily by poor hardware. The Garage Bag completely escapes this critique, since size-eight zippers are well suited to a smaller size bag. Given the price, I'd find it hard to justify purchasing a Bike Bag Dude handlebar roll. The sling alone, coupled with a mass-produced dry bag and some small foam blocks would equal or better its performance and make for a more affordable handlebar system. With beefier zippers and straps, Bike Bag Dude's custom frame bags would offer its unparalleled water resistance at a cost similar to alternatives, and with better durability. As it stands, if you plan on bikepacking in a wet part of the world, Bike Bag Dude's Garage Bag and custom frame bags still deserve your consideration. - Skyler Des Roches

@velociraptor-clintthrust: The only thing aussies have invented is bullsh!tting. In 1889, William Stewart Halsted, the first chief of surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, invented rubber gloves in order to prevent medical staff from developing dermatitis from surgical chemicals.The first aircraft evacuation slide was developed and produced by Air Cruisers, founded by James F. Boyle, inventor of the World War II life vest, the "Mae West"

Pinkbike and old magazines profited mainly because of reviews of things other than bikes, remember if you arent that good on a bike compensate that with the purchase of unneccesary bike devices to show off.

@Grutten: It says $90 USD in the article for the top tube bag and 185 for the frame bag? If you want 2 zippers and a pocket on the frame bag it's more like $270. He even says the price on their dry bag is unreasonable.

I run a small bag making brand on the side, and the material costs alone can be pretty aggressive at times, especially if Im importing some stuff from the states I cant source in Canada. There are so many great makers these days, its a shame large companies are catching on and mass producing gear, but these companies can provide newer materials, methods and designs that are pretty neat. Nothing will beat that handmade custom fit bag tho.

This is a great series! Have you heard of Rogue Panda Designs and/or Porcelain Rocket? Those two brands do a bang up job too and would be interested to see how they stack up.

Full disclosure - I have been trashing a Rogue Panda Designs kit for the past year and can't bust it! Plus the seam sealed bags kept my down coat bone dry in the swampy state of Washington for a whole rainy season. Washington of all places!

Did I mention they come in three types of camouflage? Did you see me in the woods last year? You wouldn't!

I'm going to get a top tube bag. Probably not this brand but there are a few other options. It's the same size as a fanny pack but much more convenient. Everything is right in front of you. It bounces around less than if it's on your hip. It can fit a tube, mini pump, cell phone and multi tool. Why does PB keep hyping the fanny pack? Next they're going to tell us to wear sandals and white socks when we're riding.

Contact Neil Warren in Calgary, his company is Alpine Thread works. He's a ski guide and makes rescue tarps and packs. He has started making awesome frame bags that mount inside the front of the rear triangle. You just need too send him a template of your front section of frame, and he makes the exact bag for it. He may even have a template for your frame already.neil@alpinethreadworks.com

Not aware of other waterproof or weather resistant frame bags? Interesting...

Seems to me that the writer is ignoring the fact that the market is saturated with companies making bags. Many many of them are top notch.

If you want custom why not go with someone like Andrew the Maker out of the US. Better bags. Better looking. Better functioning. He'll make them with or without the water tube port... though having one makes a crap ton of sense. If you really want to keep something in particular dry... use a dry sac.

Blackburn makes all of these bags... they look better, they have more features, they cost less, etc. The handlebar roll in particular is way nicer than this one and it's completely waterproof because it comes with a dry bag. It also comes with a nice mount and 2 long straps. Their top tube bag is just about as large as this one and uses water resistant material and zippers. Frame bag... same deal. And it has the water port which makes more sense than not having one for the sake of being more waterproof? But not being waterproof. And it's adjustable. If you have a crazy ass frame get a custom bag made that's nice. They've got waterproof panniers. A waterproof trunk rack bag. A waterproof seat bag/dry bag set up. Waterproof seatbags. Waterproof handlebar bag. Waterproof handlebar roll. Etc etc etc.

Alpkit makes some killer stuff. If their top tube bag had sealed zippers it would be about as waterproof as you're gonna find. And it's just as big... hell... I can think of 10 companies right now that make a top tube bag in the same size range as the one reviewed.

Becker Gear makes some pretty damned weather resistant stuff.

Revelate makes really nice bags that are pretty much all at least water resistant. Some very near waterproof.

Hell... Elephants and Robots are out of Australia. Make custom bags. And he uses quality zippers... well he'll use pretty much anything you want him to use to solve a problem.

@draggingbrake: www.pinkbike.com/u/hockdub/album/JPaks After riding the full Colorado Trail with Joe's bags, and then seeing this review... I'll definitely be submitting a review of my own on his bags. Incredibly well built by an awesome guy. He and his wife are currently out riding the CT. They started the day after my lady and I finished.

You said "Bike Bag Dude's answer to the frame bag is the only option I've seen that gives more than a symbolic nod to the effort of waterproofing. "

That's simply not true. I can guarantee you that waterproofing and water resistant materials and construction has been considered by just about ever I.D. guy that's designed a frame bag in the last couple years.

I'd be curious what would happened if someone took 10 of these bags and just hosed down a bike. See how long it takes to soak what's inside.

To me part of it comes down to philosophy. You said they ditched the port for the hydration port. To me that's a bad idea. Having an extra large bag in your frame bag is a great place for it and it gets it off your back. There are plenty of other types of bags you can get that are 100% waterproof if you absolutely need to keep something dry even in the case of river crossings. A higher quality handlebar roll for example... blackburns comes to mind. It's a much much better looking and functioning unit. And it's waterproof. You can get water proof versions of many different bags.

Many companies use the exact same materials as the bag you're reviewing... in some cases better in some cases just similar. Only difference being the construction of the seems.

What about the orbiter roll-top frame bag? Uses no zippers and 500d Codura and VX21. You telling me they didn't consider waterproof/water resistant?

I just don't think you're giving some of these other companies enough credit.

@onemanarmy: I own many other frame bags, and I've ridden thousands of miles with them. I also co-designed the Orbiter frame pack you refer to. I'm totally aware of most of the options out there. I'd like to believe I was asked to write this review because it's something I know about.

The only frame bag I've seen that is truly waterproof is the welded-seam bag I made myself. Other than my own design, the BBD bag is the only one that has come close.The one aspect of the BBD frame bag that stands out from that crowd of bag makers is its water resistance - that's why I said it. If other bag makers are thinking about it, they're deciding that unsealed, sewn seams can resist heavy rain. That is not the case.

One would hope that you wouldn't say something is not waterproof even though they must have been the only ones in the world trying to be waterproof while saying they're the only ones that considering waterproofing. There's a reason a handful of materials are used on nearly all of these bags. They share water resistant characteristics.

Not claiming you aren't knowledgable. I actually found the review to be a very well thought out. I just don't like when people make industry wide claims like that. It reads more like an ad at that point than an honest review. Which it clearly is considering you knocked their hardware.

The list was put there because someone asked for it.

I was just giving an opinion. You said no one was really considering it when I know for a fact they are. Many many bags are very water resistant. And like I said before... a lot of it comes down to philosophy. For some folks a completely water proof design might be a secondary concern to actually having a water bladder sleeve or dividers or whatever. Durability and water resistant might be enough. So they are considering it but maybe deciding that the materials they're using along with the zippers and coatings used are enough to be very near water proof... like I said before... put the stuff that has to stay dry no matter what in dry bags. Those are the only things that are truly water proof.

You clearly have your head wrapped around the need for durability and water resistance if you worked on the orbiter bag. I think it's a great bag. So don't get all butt hurt. This is a comments section full of retarded ass people. I just called out one thing in an otherwise well written article... why... because it's pinkbike and that's what you do in the comments section.

So like I said... nice review. But I don't like industry sweeping statements in what is supposed to be in impartial review... reads like the rest of the "reviews" pinkbike gets paid to run... and it's not.

Same reason I like to poke the bear when people say helmets suck unless they have MIPS... or that MIPS doesn't work... or that boost is the only way to go... etc. Poke the bear.

@onemanarmy: I hear you, but I stand by this particular sweeping statement. Sorry to come off as butt-hurt, it wasn't intended. But, a reviewer's value only exists in their honesty, integrity, and knowledge. I'm compelled to defend mine.

But my point is not meant to be a marketing pitch for BBD (which clearly got a lackluster review in this case). Instead, I mean it as a complaint toward pretty much every other bag maker out there. They can do better, and they're not. Calling sewn bags with unsealed seams water resistant is a damn lie, and many people I know and respect continue to spout that lie. A sewn bag that's not seam sealed will not keep out 8hrs of British Columbian or Patagonian rain (I've tested this rather thoroughly). Many of those bags are of absolutely outstanding quality, and likely cost less than a BBD. But, my point was that waterproofing is BBD's frame bag's main attraction - the way in which it stands out. Note that, the zippers are obviously not waterproof, so it's admittedly confusing that I'm calling it waterproof, but you put a hose into the bag, water wouldn't splash out until it poured through the zipper teeth.

Honestly. I wish your review contained that last paragraph. A call to action would be a great part of an article like this and I would have fully supported that statement. I think in general the frame bag market is still growing and vastly improving. I won't say new since technically they've been in existence since like the 1890's. So having input like that would hopefully spur a few makers in to making improvements in that category.

I have a friend his mother works for Samsonite. She make a custom bags for his bike, awesome ones to be honest. Whit the best materials she can find(yep,they are waterproof,double sealed zips),those bags are now, 4 years later almost destroyed using them all time...